Legislature(1995 - 1996)
01/26/1995 03:35 PM Senate STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SSTA - 1/26/95
SB 19 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS TO BE IN ANCHORAGE
Number 368
SENATOR SHARP brings up SB 19 as the next order of business before
the Senate State Affairs Committee and calls the first witness.
Number 373
SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS, prime sponsor of SB 19, states SB 19
relates only to the legislature convening during regular session in
Anchorage instead of in Juneau, and is not an entire capital move.
SB 19 complies with the FRANK (Fiscally Responsible Alaskans
Needing Knowledge) Initiative. Should this pass, the legislature
will begin meeting in Anchorage in January, 1998. Those are the
main components of this bill.
Number 386
CHUCK ACHBERGER, Juneau Chamber of Commerce, asks that Juneau be
given some time to work on being a better capital city. Some of
the problems that need work, such as housing, require a long-term
investment. Juneau is on the right track, but needs time to
respond to the problems it has.
Number 402
JAMIE PARSONS, Former Chairman, Alaska Committee, states he is
opposed to SB 19. Collectively, Alaskans voted against the Capital
Move Initiative this fall. Recently, The Alaska Committee and the
Better Capital City Committee met and agreed to merge into one
organization with the mission of following up and seeing to
fruition issues which will make state government work better for
all Alaskans. Mr. Parsons requests that the Nineteenth Alaska
State Legislature give Juneau a few years of uninterrupted
breathing room to allow the community to address some of these
issues: housing, land and air access, and electronic and
telecommunications access. To solve these problems, the community
and the legislature will need to work jointly.
MR. PARSONS thinks there are more pressing problems the state
should be dealing with at this time. The last issue the state
needs at this time is one that pits different regions of the state
against one another.
Number 432
SENATOR LEMAN adds that the previous several speakers hit upon two
problems that are also of concern to him. A third problem he is
concerned with is transportation to Juneau. Senator Leman states
that at this time transportation is as good as it has ever been,
but he asks Mr. Parsons what plans there are to help ensure that
good, competitively priced transportation will continue to be
available.
Number 445
MR. PARSONS replies that the Global Positioning System (GPS) will
eliminate at least 80% of weather interrupted arrivals and
departures. The Alaska Committee has been working with Alaska
Airlines on airfares and flight schedules, and will continue to do
so. A representative from Alaska Airlines will be in town next
week to meet with the Alaska Committee/Better Capital City
Committee. The airfares now are very good. We have recently been
made aware that the Alaska Airlines flight schedule is not as
convenient for the legislature this year. We contacted the
airline, and as of February 1, the schedule will be changed for the
legislature's convenience.
Number 465
CHARLES NORTHRIP, Director, Juneau Economic Development Council
(JEDC) and The Southeast Alaska Small Business Development Center,
states that many of the businesses he works with are engaged in the
housing industry. Mr. Northrip states that measures like SB 19
make providing housing much more difficult, in that every time the
capital move issue comes up, it dampens housing development.
MR. NORTHRIP also states there is a possibility that the GPS being
installed at the airport may increase competition by attracting
more air carriers to Juneau. Since the GPS will decrease the
incidence of flights being weathered in or out of Juneau, each of
which costs approximately $10,000, Juneau will become a more
attractive destination for air carriers.
MR. NORTHRIP states the JEDC is working with building contractors,
the City & Borough of Juneau, banks, and realtors, and making
housing its' top priority.
Number 513
SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS states that two-thirds of his constituents
want to move not only the legislature, but the whole capital.
Senator Phillips believes citizen access is a real problem which
Juneau needs to address.
Number 532
CHIP WAGONER thinks, in regards to Senator Phillips concern about
access to the capital city, Juneau's delegation in the legislature
would vote for a road out of Juneau, a communications system, and
a computer system. Mr. Wagoner thinks Juneau will support access
issues if other members of the legislature will. Mr. Wagoner says
he is speaking as a republican and wants the republican majority to
succeed. However, he does not want the legislature wasting their
time on a capital move bill. He wants the legislature to be
promoting timber, logging, mining development, fishing, supporting
the University of Alaska deferred maintenance program, and perhaps
working on a food bank for Juneau. Bigger issues, even to people
in Eagle River, are crime, budgetary problems, lack of development,
lawsuits with the federal government, the subsistence issue,
reallocation of resources, etcetera. Mr. Wagoner restates he wants
the republican majority to succeed, and concentrate with the
limited time and funds available on the issues that count to
Alaskans.
Number 560
SENATOR LEMAN asks Mr. Wagoner if he has seen the "Contract with
Alaska".
MR. WAGONER responds he has not seen it, but he has heard of it.
SENATOR LEMAN asks Mr. Wagoner to take a look at the contract and
get back to him with comments he might have.
Number 570
BRAD PIERCE, Policy Analyst, Office of Management & Budget, informs
the committee he put together the consolidated fiscal note for SB
19. Although OMB took a fresh look at this issue, and did not
simply pull information from previous fiscal notes, the cost figure
is in the same ballpark as last year. The estimated figure would
be about 2.6 million per year. Mr. Pierce also informs members
that a revised fiscal note from the Division of Postsecondary
Education has been submitted to the committee.
TAPE 95-1, SIDE B
Number 580
CHAIRMAN SHARP notes that SB 19 has considerable fiscal notes,
which will be scrutinized in detail in the next committee of
referral, the Finance Committee.
SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS makes a motion to discharge SB 19 from the
Senate State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations.
Number 565
SENATOR DUNCAN objects. Senator Duncan states he wants to go on
record as objecting, and that he will recommend "do not pass" on
the committee report. With that statement, he removes his
objection.
Number 525
CHAIRMAN SHARP comments there is considerable difference between
the ballot question that was decided this fall and SB 19, and the
discussion is healthy. But he also has constituents who complain
about accessing the capital. Senator Sharp does not know how one
would solve that problem in a state as big as Alaska, or whether it
is solvable. Senator Sharp notes that he has been fortunate in the
six years he has been in Juneau in that he has never had a problem
acquiring adequate housing; nor has he had a problem with
travelling into or out of Juneau.
Number 512
SENATOR LEMAN adds that he has found the people of Juneau to be
very hospitable. Since the capital move issue has reemerged, he
has noticed an increased attention to detail. However, he has
noticed frustration on the part of people that government is
inaccessible to the people. Senator Leman suggests perhaps having
all day hearings around the state: bringing the legislature to the
people.
Number 487
SENATOR DUNCAN thinks Senator Leman's suggestion is a good one, and
that a change in the Uniform Rules would be needed in order to do
something like that. Senator Duncan says he would be happy to work
on doing that. He would certainly advocate holding meetings around
the state.
Number 481
SENATOR LEMAN comments he went with Representative Mackie and a
group of people to Prince of Wales Island. That was a big deal to
the residents of the island. We had a public forum, they got a
chance to express their concerns, and the people really seemed to
appreciate it.
Number 473
CHAIRMAN SHARP, hearing no objection or further comments, orders SB
19 released from committee with individual recommendations.
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